


Waiting

by VictoriannWings



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: A Choice with No Regrets, ACWNR, Commander Erwin Smith, Cuddling, Fireflies, First Date, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Midnight, commander - Freeform, eruri - Freeform, eruri fluff, field at midnight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-10
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-08-07 20:02:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7727977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VictoriannWings/pseuds/VictoriannWings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erwin Smith was not the kind of person who liked to wait. But Levi, he found, was something worth waiting for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Waiting

**Author's Note:**

> Have some super fluffy eruri <3 Only rated for language, really.

He frowned at the clock. 11:45 pm.

Erwin Smith was not the kind of person who liked to wait. He'd tripped over himself in an effort to progress through the ranks of the Survey Corps, ambition propelling him forward, ideas blazing his trails, forging his paths, until he found himself, the 13th Commander, wildly and fiercely alone.

He'd risen through the ranks, implementing his new plans, new strategies, and some of them were a total success: his long-range scouting formations limited casualties by the hundreds. The Survey Corps no longer hung their heads in shame when so few soldiers returned. He felt the weight of the green gem on his tie on his chest wherever he went, a responsibility he'd worked his entire life for and given up so much for, and despite being constantly in the public eye, at night he didn't sleep in his bed, but worked until his eyes glazed over and the candles burned out and he woke in the morning with the worst backache from hunching over his desk all night.

He didn't know when it started, but the first week or two (or three? he wasn't sure) after he made Commander he'd spent perpetually in his office. Stacks upon stacks of papers sorted themselves into even more stacks and stacks, and he went through more candles than he ever had in his life. Stretching, he realised he was out of candles: but there were more in his room. With a pang he realised he hadn't spent more time than it took to change or grab something he needed in his room in quite some time. But more important matters held his thoughts these days. 

More important matters, of course, like defeating the titans and recapturing Wall Maria and sorting cadets into squads and assigning leaders to those squads. He pushed a hand through his hair, ruffling it, then quickly smoothed it back down. He had to stop doing that, he thought, someone would notice and make fun of him.

Someone, of course, meaning Levi.

He glanced at the clock.

No, Erwin Smith couldn't stand waiting. But he didn't want to be the dork that showed up a thousand minutes early, either. And so he sat, hands folding and unfolding in his lap, nervously smoothing down his already slicked flat hair, and waited until the clock read 11:50.

This morning Levi had knocked on his office door and pushed it open before Erwin even really had a chance to answer, arms crossed, the full height of the small man drawn in a sharp, assertive line. Erwin, pulling his cheek off his papers, blinked around. "What...? Levi, what are you doing here?" He rubbed his eyes, trying to wake up enough to figure out what was going on.

Levi huffed at him, marched forward, and laid a surprisingly gentle hand on Erwin's shoulder, which flooded him with warmth. "You haven't slept in your room all week," he noted. His gray eyes bored through Erwin's fuzzy thoughts.

Erwin gave him a sheepish look, sitting up straight. "No, I haven't. I've been working a lot. There's quite a bit to do still," he admitted. 

Levi casually leaned against the desk with his hand still on Erwin's shoulder. He watched him for a moment, silent. Then, slowly, carefully, as if still tasting the words, he said, "I have an idea."

Erwin raised a thick eyebrow, his own hands fiddling with his quill. "An idea about what, might I ask?" 

Smirking slightly, Levi crossed his arms and looked at the floor. "About...a way to deepen our trust. You were talking about our bond to Mike the other day, do you remember?"

He smiled; Erwin did remember. Levi didn't know it, but he'd been confessing that the small man had become his biggest confidante and the only thing keeping him sane. Multiple times, Levi had showed up, tea in hand, and forced Erwin to put his quill down and eat something, or talk, or just relax for a second--if he ever could relax. He'd told Mike that there were moments when he looked at Levi and saw more than a friend, more than a coworker, even--sometimes, especially in a meeting or on the battlefield, Levi reacted like he could read Erwin's mind. He went where Erwin needed him to be and said what needed to be said, and wasted no time getting there. A surge of affection caused Erwin to reach for Levi's arm, gripping his bicep in appreciation. 

"Yes, Levi. You're so very important to me. In ways you don't even know," he added, blue eyes welling with intensity. 

Levi raised an eyebrow. "Chill the fuck out, old man. No need to get all sentimental. I mean. I was just going to suggest we find a way to make you relax." He didn't pull away from Erwin's touch.

"What do you mean?" Their gazes held; he could feel his heart beat in his chest, in his wrists, his temples. 

Shrugging, the smaller man stood up fully and moved closer to Erwin, almost nonchalantly, his dark hair in his face. Erwin's breath caught; something about Levi made him speechless, and it took a lot to make the Commander speechless. 

"Well. You know. We could adapt our relationship. You need to be taken care of, and I can help with that." Levi met Erwin's gaze unflinchingly. 

He forced his lungs to work, face blank, then smiled. "Captain Levi, meet me tonight in the field at midnight," he said, using his Commander voice, strong, determined. 

Levi, smirking, reached out and touched Erwin's cheek; the touch surprised him, but he melted into it. "I'll be there, blondie," he tossed over his shoulder, turning to leave. 

And so Erwin was left waiting in his office, determined to get as much work done as he could before their date--he hoped it was a date--and the hours dwindled by. It was the longest day of his life, he thought, even though he knew it wasn't. He had spent days that were much, much longer. 

11:50. He rose and grabbed his jacket; it had cooled as the evening wore on, and Erwin put on his jacket the instant he was outside. Shivering, he took slow steps toward the field with his arms crossed. 

Even though he took his time, he arrived in no time at all. But Levi was still waiting for him, a dark figure straight and tall at the end of the path. Erwin smiled, but he had no idea if Levi could see him in the darkness. "Hi," his voice rumbled, deep and quiet, full of excitement he tried desperately to hold in. "Shall we?" He held out his arm, and Levi took it, reaching up to do so. 

The chill air filled his lungs, and he focused on breathing, slow, deep, regularly, as they walked. He tried not to focus on how warm Levi's hand on his arm was, or how his arm tingled. He couldn't stop the smile on his face. Staring down at the top of Levi's head, he said, "So...how was your day today?"

Levi grunted. "It was fine. Why the small talk? You're not one for small talk."

Considering, Erwin mused, "I guess I'm nervous." The admission surprised him, but it was true. His thoughts circled. He'd known Levi for so long, and his importance to Erwin hadn't gone unnoticed, but this was different. 

Levi stopped walking and turned to Erwin, gray eyes catching the last flickers of starlight. "It's okay, Commander," he murmured, reaching up on tiptoe to touch his cheek. 

Erwin caught his small, slender hand and held it, relishing its softness, even with calluses from his swords and gear. He took a deep breath again. Levi had a way of cutting through all of Erwin's walls and mazes and getting to the bottom of things. Peace spread from those little fingertips throughout Erwin's body. 

"Come on," he urged, this time weaving his fingers in between Levi's, and led him forward again. They turned a corner and, beyond the trees, a clearing opened up in a large field, with thick grass and just enough moonlight to see where the trees ended and grass began. 

Then, as they walked forward, the first wink of a firefly caught his attention. "Look," he pointed. Levi nodded, face still blank, but the frown lines between his brow softened. They walked to the middle of the field and Erwin sat. 

Levi crossed his arms. "You're sitting on the fucking ground, Erwin." 

The big man shrugged. "It's just grass."

Indignant, Levi huffed. "It's not just grass, you don't know what's down there. I'm not sitting."

"Here." Erwin's jacket was off in seconds, and he spread it on the ground for Levi to sit. He perched in the middle of the fabric, still frowning. 

"You're going to get it dirty, you know. There will be grass stains. Those are hard to get out."

Erwin smiled, then held his arm out. The smaller man folded into him, curled against him, and his heart skipped a beat at how perfectly they fit together. "I'm sure you can help me," he breathed against Levi's ear. "After all, it's just grass."

They fell silent. Another firefly twinkled near Erwin's face. Despite the cool air, his heart filled with warmth, as Levi cuddled him close. They'd known each other long enough that silences between them weren't uncommon or uncomfortable, but tonight he felt more at home than ever before.

"Levi," he whispered. The dark hair on his head messed up slightly as he turned his head in response, nestled onto Erwin's chest. "Levi...you mean the world to me. You're my best friend. I'm honoured that you're my Captain and that I can rely on you for all that I can. I mean. I'm just glad that you're here, in my life, and--"

"I love you, Erwin," Levi interrupted, reaching up for Erwin's face. 

Lips landed with an electrifying spark, soft and gentle, searching, exploring. Erwin's eyes fluttered closed in gratitude. He gathered the man against him, felt the strong muscles in his back, the warmth of that lean, intense body, and his heart cried out in understanding. This man was made for him: the piece he'd been missing, the reason he needed him so desperately, for everything that he did. Levi was his best partner in life, in work, in love. 

They paused, forehead to forehead, eyes focused. "I love you too," he smiled, almost laughing at himself. "You interrupted my speech."

Levi shrugged sheepishly, then loosely draped his arms around Erwin's neck. "You interrupted my kiss," he argued, and Erwin Smith had never waited for something more worthwhile in his life.


End file.
